Virginia Commonwealth University Women's Track

The Jon Riley File Coaching Experience:        2001-03                      Assistant Coach St. Augustine High - New Orleans, La.   2003-05                     Assistant Coach Southeast Missouri State    2005-08                     Assistant Coach Belmont 2008- present                   Head Coach VCU Coaching Highlights:                        40 individual conference champions 60 individual school records broken 10 team conference championships 4 NCAA All-Americans Education:                   1998             Southeast Missouri State B.S. Mass Communication 2005             Southeast Missouri State M.A. Athletic Administration Jon Riley enters his 18th season as head coach of the VCU Women's Track & Field and 16th in charge of the men's team in 2025-26. Riley took over the reigns of the women's program in 2008 and the men's team in 2010, and has overseen a remarkable makeover of both by employing three key ingredients: dedication, commitment and passion. While these three words are often associated with Coach Riley, they are also descriptors of his teams and coaching philosophy. Riley's influence has produced 11 women's track & field Atlantic 10 Conference team championships (Indoors 2015, Outdoors 2016, Indoors 2017, Indoors 2018, Outdoors 2018, Indoors 2019, Outdoors 2021, Indoors 2022, Indoors 2023, Indoors 2024, Outdoors 2024), as well as three All-Americans (Kiara Porter [5-time], Jaleesa Williams [2-time], and Gudrun Hallgrímsdóttir [5-time]) and numerous individual conference champions. He has also kept the men's program in consistent competition for conference championships. In 2016, he guided the men's team to a third-place showing at the 2016 A-10 Outdoor Championships, the program's best since it joined the league prior to the 2012-13 season. He has collected Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors eight times.  Riley's student-athletes have set school records in 37 women's and 13 men's events (indoor and outdoor) during his tenures.  In 2015, Riley's resurrection of the women's team took an important step when it captured the A-10 Indoor title, the program's first conference crown more than 20 years. The following year, Riley directed the women's squad to an A-10 outdoor title, the school's first outdoor championship since it won the 1994 Metro Conference crown.  Riley's guidance was critical in the recruitment and development of All-Americans Kiara Porter and Jaleesa Williams. Porter quickly became one of the all-time greats at VCU. In four seasons she racked up five All-America honors in the 400-meter run (three outdoors, two indoors), 16 individual and relay conference titles and three A-10 Most Outstanding Performer honors. In 2014 and 2015, she placed eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400. Porter set 11 school records as a Ram and was also a three-time Academic All-American. Williams, meanwhile, became the first thrower in VCU history to earn All-America status when she placed ninth in the discus at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She placed 12th the following year in that event. She captured six individual conference titles and set five school records during her tenure.  In 2012, Riley coached Porter to a gold medal as a part of Team USA’s 4x400 at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Earlier in the year Porter finished fourth at the USA Junior Championships in the 400. In 2010, just two years into his tenure, Riley led the Black & Gold to its best CAA Championship performance in six years.  “My staff and I are dedicated to this program and we love what we do,” Riley said. “We are committed to doing whatever it takes to put our athletes in the best position to be successful, both on and off the track. We will do whatever it takes to give our athletes the best experience possible here at VCU.” Richmond isn’t the only stop in Riley’s coaching career that’s been successful. From 2005-08, Riley was an assistant at Belmont in Nashville, Tenn. He worked primarily with sprinters and jumpers. There he helped four different Bruins become NCAA Regional qualifiers, and he coached a total of nine Atlantic Sun Conference champions. In particular, Lynette Rives showcased a high level of excellence under Riley’s tutelage. She was an All-American in 2008 and also All-Region and a NCAA National qualifier in the 200. Prior to his stint at Belmont, Riley held the same position at his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State. While working with the jumpers, pole vaulters, javelin throwers and hurdlers, Coach Jon Riley helped the women’s program capture three Ohio Valley Conference championships and numerous All-Conference awards. Riley’s coaching career began right out of college as he spent five years as an assistant at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, known around the state of Louisiana as a powerhouse on the track. Prior to his coaching experience, Jon Riley was two-sport star at Southeast Missouri State. Riley was a four-year starter at wide receiver for the Southeastern Missouri State, Redhawks. In addition to his days on the gridiron, Riley was a track and field standout. He would go on to earn five Ohio Valley Conference individual titles, qualify three times provisionally for the NCAA’s, break the school record in the long jump and score the most combined points in school history at conference meets. A native of New Orleans, La., Riley graduated from Southeast Missouri State in 1998 with a degree in Mass Communications. He later earned his Master’s in Athletic Administration there in 2005. Riley resides in Richmond.

Cook was named Assistant Track & Field Coach and Director of Cross Country in August of 2010. Prior to her arrival in Richmond, Cook had spent time on the professional track circuit and in high school coaching. "Nicole is going to be an incredible asset for this program," Track & Field Head Coach Jon Riley said. "She's very familiar with the area and well-known throughout the state. With her addition, we hope to attract high quality distance athletes. We're not looking for a quick fix, but I feel over a period of time, we can demonstrate our commitment to getting better in that area." Her addition to the Virginia Commonwealth University Track & Field staff was a bit of a homecoming. Cook was a decorated high school track star a half hour down I-95 at Petersburg High School before her decorated career as a Tennessee Volunteer. Cook was a headliner for the Petersburg High Crimson Wave, racking up state and national accolades. She was the state champion in the 500 meters and indoor national champion in the 800 meters. To this day, several of her high school state records still stand. Her collegiate career was just as decorated as her high school career. During her time at Tennessee, Cook became the premiere 800 meter runner in the SEC. She made an immediate impact in Knoxville and was named Track & Field Lady Vol Athlete of the Year as a freshman. She later became a fixture on the Vols Distance Medley Relay squad, which won an NCAA Indoor Championship in 2004. Cook would also earn individual glory becoming an 800 meter national champion. That same year, Cook made it to the final 800 meter qualifying round of the Olympic trials. Her excellence on the track was matched in the classroom, as she also made the Lady Vol Academic Honor Roll in 2004. She graduated from Tennessee with a degree in Social Work. Cooks personal inspirations as an athlete included three-time gold medalist of the 1960 Rome Olympic games, Wilma Rudolph and four-time Olympian, and fellow Tennessee alum, Joetta Clark. She hopes to build on her rock star status in the local track & field community and help create a new generation of stars at VCU.

Entering his 18th year with the VCU Track and Field program in 2025-26, Coach Ethan Tussing (pronounced two-sing) looks to continue to develop athletes who are a consistent force at the conference level and among the nation’s elite. In the 2025 season, Tussing coached Eryn Byrd to a strong throwing season where the senior set personal records in the hammer throw and weight throw. That year, Byrd also won the A-10 championship for shot put in both the indoor and outdoor season. Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir also won the A-10 championship for hammer throw as well as the NCAA First Round before finishing 6th overall in the National Championships in Eugene, Ore. On the men’s side, Senior John Casper had a strong season led by Tussing. Casper won the A-10 Indoor championship for weight throw while also winning the Outdoor championship for discus throw and hammer throw. After strong performances at the LR and Dani Palooza Last Chance meets, Casper qualified for the NCAA First Round where he finished 18th of 48 competitors in the hammer throw.  The 2024 season saw continued growth for the VCU throw squad under Tussing. VCU throwers combined for five conference champions overall, including three conference championship broken records. Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir had a dominate junior season under Coach Tussing including a fifth place finish in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw and First-Team All-American honors as well as earning First-Team All-American honors in the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championship. Hallgrimsdottir broke her previous hammer throw school record, throwing a season best 69.76m. In 2024 Tussing was named Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Under Tussing's tutelage, VCU's throws squad continued their run of conference and national-level success in 2023. VCU throwers combined for eight Atlantic 10 event championships and three school records in 2023. Most notably, Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw with a fourth-place finish and school record performance of 65.42m at the NCAA East meet. The VCU women's throwers swept the A-10's Most Outstanding Field Performer awards in 2023.  Eryn Byrd repeated the feat indoors for winning the shot put and placing third in the weight throw, while Jocelyn Midkiff took the honor outdoors following wins in the shot put and discus. On the men's side, Jaekob Vollbrecht topped his own school record in the discus and won three A-10 event titles in the discus, hammer throw, and shot put to earn the Men's Outstanding Field Performer for the A-10 Outdoor Championships. In 2022, the VCU women won their fifth indoor and eighth overall Atlantic 10 team title, with Tussing's athletes combining for five podium finishes across the men and women. Eryn Byrd was named Most Oustanding Field Performer after winning the shot put and placing third in the weight throw. During the outdoor season, Tussing's athletes combined for nine podium finishes at the Atlantic 10 Championships, while Gudrun Hallgrimsdottir (Most Oustanding Rookie Performer) and Makayla McGowan (Most Outstanding Field Performer) collected championship honors. Hallgrimsdottir broke the school record three times in the hammer throw during the season, while Jaekob Vollbrecht broke his own school record in the discus. Four of Tussing's athletes (Hallgrimsdottir, McGowan, Vollbrecht, and Kayla Merkel) qualified to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. The 2021 season proved to be successful for the Rams' thowers, as Jaekob Vollbrecht set a school record in the discus throw and qualified for the NCAA Division I East Preliminaries. Vollbrecht won the discus throw at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships, also securing top-three finishes in the hammer throw and shot put. Tussing's athletes collected 15 all-conference honors at the A-10 Championships, as Makayla McGowan won the women's shot put and Will Schwartz won the men's hammer throw. In 2020, Tussing's athletes collected nine all-conference honors at the Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships. Junior Makayla McGowan won the shot put title and set the VCU indoor school record.  In 2019, senior Camora Sanders collected A-10 titles at the indoor championships in the shot put and weight throw and outdoor titles in the shot put and discus throw. Sanders broke the school record in the shot put and competed at the NCAA Division I East Preliminaries. On the men's side, freshman Jaekob Vollbrecht won the shot put title at the A-10 Indoor Championships and finished runner-up at the Outdoor Championships. In 2018, Tussing guided the throwers to seven Atlantic 10 all-conference finishes during the indoor season as the women's team captured the team title. The women's team won the A-10 title during the outdoor season as well, as Tussing's athletes collected 12 all-conference honors. The Rams swept the top two spots on the podium in the women's discus throw, as junior Camora Sanders and sophomore Makayla McGowan went 1-2. The 2017 season may have been the Ram’s throwers strongest year in terms of quality depth and development. Sophomore Drew Hess led the way on the men’s side as he eclipsed the 12-year-old school record in the javelin with his throw of 62.09 meters (203’8), and he garnered a silver medal at the A-10 Championships. Junior Shawn Scornaienchi improved drastically in the shot put to take second in the event indoors and third outdoors at A-10 Championships. Sophomore Camora Sanders led the way for the women taking fourth indoors and third outdoors in the shot put and fifth in the discus. Sanders was supported by A-10 All-Rookie team members Makayla McGowan who had the furthest throws by an A-10 freshman in the shot put 14.41 meters (47’3.5) and discus 45.75 meters (150’1) and Samantha Yankson who was the top freshman in the hammer with her throw of 46.99 (154’2). Junior Ashleigh Banks made great progress in the weight throw to finish fourth at A-10 indoors, qualify for her first ECAC appearance and move to #2 all-time at VCU. Hess was also the standout thrower as a freshman for Tussing in 2016, as he qualified for USA Junior Nationals in the javelin having thrown 60.72 meter (199’2). He finished in ninth in the meet against the nation’s elite throwers under 20 years of age and took second that year at A-10s. Additionally against A-10 Competition, Andrew Hines finished second both indoors and outdoors in the shot put and grabbed third place in the hammer throw and fourth place in the weight throw. Sophomore Denise O’Rourke grabbed a silver medal in the women’s discus while senior Briana Ratchford took third in the shot put both indoors and outdoors. Sanders took fourth in outdoor shot and discus as a freshman. The throwers had more qualifiers for the ECAC/IC4A championships in the 2016 season then they had in all previous seasons combined. The 2015 season saw Tussing’s throwers continue their outstanding streak of success. Three throwers qualified for the NCAA Championships Preliminary Round for the second year. Senior Brandon Ruffin made his second appearance in the shot put and classmate Ryan Coles competed in the discus. As a freshman, O’Rourke joined them in the women’s discus after becoming the #2 thrower in school history. O’Rourke’s qualification marked the fifth straight year a female discus thrower had advanced to the post season for VCU and the first time for a freshman. Additionally, O’Rourke qualified to the USA Junior National Championships in Eugene, Oregon. At the conference level Ruffin extended his streak of Atlantic 10 Championship Field Performer of the Meet to 4 after winning the award indoors and outdoors. His indoor campaign was highlighted by surpassing the 15-year-old A-10 conference record in the weight throw when he threw 19.88m for a 3-meter victory. Outdoors, he took the A-10 title in the shot put while Coles won the discus and the shot put indoors. The trio of Coles, Ruffin, and freshman Andrew Hines swept the medals in the A-10 indoor shot put. Tussing pushed senior Jaleesa Williams to take her career to another level in 2014 when the senior achieved a mark of 57.97m (190’2) in the discus at the NCAA Preliminary Round. The mark stands as the furthest throw ever achieved by an American collegian on the east coast. Williams also participated in the shot put at NCAAs where she would break her own school record putting the shot to 14.96m (49’1) in her last competition in the event. She rode her prelim success to become the first thrower at VCU to qualify for an NCAA final when she finished 9th in the discus in Oregon garnering her second All-American accolade. Two weeks later she again threw over 57 meters to finish in 8th at the USA National Championships. Her regular season was highlighted at the A-10 Championship meet where she broke school records in the shot put, discus, and hammer while finishing first, first, and second respectively. Her mark in the discus of 53.42m (175’3) was a new A-10 Championship record and she was awarded Field Performer of the Meet for her efforts. Ruffin and Coles made their first appearance in the NCAA post season both contesting the shot put. This was the first time a male thrower had competed at this level for VCU. Additionally, Ruffin won both the shot and discus at the A10 Championship outdoors and the shot put indoors. The 2013 campaign was highlighted by Williams becoming Tussing’s first All-American thrower. She earned her first spot in the championship meet in Oregon after finishing in 6th place in the NCAA Preliminary Round competition. Her PR in the NCAA championship prelims of 53.12m (174’3) was good enough for 12th on the day. Senior Jessica Williams captured discus gold at the A10 Outdoor championship while Jaleesa took the A10 title in the weight throw. Tussing led the Ram throwers to a marquee year in 2012, their last in the Colonial Athletics Association Conference. The men’s and women’s twelve throwers scored 90 points at the CAA championship meet outscoring all other teams’ in the throwing events and many entire teams in the meet. For her efforts at the CAA championship meet winning the shot and discus and taking third in the hammer, Jaleesa Williams was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet, the first such distinction for a VCU thrower. Her distance of 49.01m (160’9) in the discus secured her first appearance in the NCAA East Preliminary round. On the men’s side Ruffin had a standout freshman campaign in which he was awarded CAA Men’s Track and Field Rookie of the Year. Ruffin’s highlights included winning the CAA title in the men’s shot put, taking second in the discus, breaking the school record in the discus in his first competition, and qualifying for the USA Junior National Championships in the shot and disc where he finished 17th and 9th respectively. The 2011 season was Tussing’s first with both the men’s and women’s throwers. Junior Julia Anyaugo highlighted the year when she qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds after her school record discus throw of 48.04m (157’8) ranked her in the top 48 of the eastern half of the country. This marked the first time in school history that a thrower had qualified for the NCAA post season. In the 2010 season, the women’s throwers reached new levels of achievement under Tussing’s direction. Jaleesa Williams shattered the indoor school record in the shot put as a freshman and became the first ever thrower to qualify for the ECAC Indoor Championships where she finished 10th overall. Outdoors she finished up her amazing shot put season achieving All-CAA recognition with a third place finish at the CAA Championship. The discus was the team’s most improved event for the year with the school record being held by both Williams sisters and Anyaugo throughout the season. At the end of the season the record ended up in the hands of Anyaugo with a throw that propelled her to a second-place finish at the CAA. In 2009 senior Natalie Duncan achieved the furthest shot put throw of the year in the CAA Conference when she crushed the previous VCU school record with a throw of 13.43 (45’7.75). She also placed 4th in the CAA championship meet that year. Anyaugo and Samantha Mosley as freshmen took 5th and 8th respectively in the discus at the CAA Championships to become the first VCU freshmen throwers to ever score at a championship meet. Vast improvement was the story in 2008 when Tussing, then the interim head women’s track and field coach, led senior Kira Hauser and Duncan to improve their throwing distance in the shot put by more than three feet from their previous bests. In the process Duncan finished tied for 5th in the CAA championship meet with her first ever throw over 43 feet. Tussing originally started as the women’s cross country and distance coach for the Rams in 2007 and worked with them through 2010. He guided the cross country team to its highest CAA conference finish in six years while simultaneously achieving their highest team GPA. His distance runners notched five school records, two All-Conference track accolades, and one All-Conference cross country accolade under his directions. Prior to his arrival in Richmond, Tussing worked for six years with the prestigious Florida Gator Track & Field program in a variety of positions under the guidance of legendary head coach Michael “Mouse” Holloway. During his latest role at UF as an interning coach of men’s middle distance, his athletes excelled to achieve one All-American honor, six NCAA qualifying marks, and one USA Junior National Championship qualifying mark. He also assisted with sprints, hurdles, and relays where he mentored seven additional All-Americans and two SEC Conference Champions. Throughout his entire six-year time with the UF program Tussing was involved in the development of four NCAA National Track & Field Runner-up teams, one SEC Championship team, eight NCAA individual or relay championships, and 105 All-American honorees. He got his start in coaching as a volunteer coach for the Gainesville All-Stars Professional Track & Field Club. Working with the club team he assisted in the guidance of World Champions John Capel and Kerron Clement, Olympic Silver Medalist Bernard Williams, World Championship Runner-up Derrick Atkins, and seven additional Olympians. He also trained football players in speed development in preparation for the 2006 NFL Draft. Tussing, a native of DeLand, FL, graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in 2005 with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science. He is certified by USA Track and Field as a Level 1 Coaching Education Instructor and holds USATF Level 2 certifications in the Throws and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays. He and his wife, Shannon, reside in Chesterfield with their sons Rowan and Lachlan.

Sage previously spent time at the University of New Orleans, University of Texas, University of Illinois, and Texas A&M University Corpus-Christi before arriving in Richmond. In 2014, Sage arrived at VCU and set his sights on the record books. Sage oversaw 10 top five all-time performances in his first year in addition to helping capture VCU womens track and fields first Atlantic 10 indoor team championship. Individually, Sage helped Kyle Martin to a first place finish in the 60m hurdles at the A10 indoor championships as well as in setting a new school record in the 60m hurdles (7.99). Other VCU top five performances include: In 2013, Sage served as an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans where he helped transition the Privateers back into the Division I ranks. The Privateers qualified three to the NCAA East Preliminary Round and one to NCAA National Championships. Prior to his time at UNO in 2013, Sage spent the first semester working with the Longhorns at the University of Texas. Sage worked alongside newly acquired associate head coach and three-time Olympian Tonja Buford-Bailey. While at UT, Sages main responsibilities included working with the sprints and hurdles while being tasked with running individual practices as well as serving as a recruiting coordinator. In the summer of 2013, Sage assisted Buford-Bailey in working with post collegiate hurdler Andrew Riley. Sage accompanied Riley to the JAAA Jamaican National Senior Championships where Riley won the 110m hurdles advancing him to the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. Capping off his rookie season as a professional, Riley finished 8th at the World Championships while consistently posting times that ranked in the top 10 in the world. In 2012, Sage worked with Buford-Bailey and Mike Erb at the University of Illinois. The Fighting Illini won the 2013 Big Ten Indoor Champions and Sage helped guide them to a 14th place finish at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. Sage assisted Buford-Bailey in coaching Ashley Spencer to a second straight national championship in the 400m. After leaving Illinois Sage's resume includes assisting with 1 NCAA National Champion, 12 NCAA All-Americans, 10 Illinois School Records, and 9 Individual Big Ten Champions. In 2011, Sage served under former Head Coach Randy Bungard as a graduate assistant coach at Texas A&M University Corpus-Christi. Working specifically with the men's and women's throws, jumps and multis, Sage's athletes set school records in the men's and women's high jump, women's javelin, shot put, discus, and heptathlon, in all totaling 7 school records.  Prior to his coaching experience, Sage competed as a decathlete at Marquette University. He was a consistent conference qualifier and point scorer. Sage was a multiple IC4A qualifier and currently ranks third all-time at Marquette in both heptathlon and decathlon. A native of New Berlin, WI, Sage earned his Bachelors from Marquette University. Sage resides in Richmond, VA.